In 1997, Doug Hawthorne helped reshape the health care industry in North Texas by leading the creation of Texas Health Resources, an alliance of Presbyterian Healthcare Resources, Harris Methodist Health System and Arlington Memorial Hospital.

Tuesday, Texas Health said that Hawthorne, 66, planned to step down from his long-held CEO role by the end of the year.

The news release did not use the word “retire.”

In an interview, spokesman Wendell Watson said of Hawthorne: “It is envisioned that he will remain connected to the organization in the future in some capacity.”

With more than 22,000 employees in fully owned and joint venture operations, Texas Health is one of the largest care providers in North Texas. For its 2012 fiscal year, it had $3.7 billion in total operating revenue and $5.3 billion in total assets.

When THR began nearly two decades ago, the new alliance had total assets of about $2 billion, according to a story in The Dallas Morning News at the time.

THR’s release included portions of messages that Hawthorne sent to the organization’s board and employees.

Hawthorne said he was proud “of the progress Texas Health has made in transforming the delivery of health care” in North Texas. He said he and his wife, Martha, had decided to spend more time with their children and grandchildren.

“We will also devote more time to serving the community in areas that are close to our hearts,” Hawthorne said.

THR is conducting a nationwide search for his successor and hopes to appoint a new leader by the fall. Hawthorne will continue as CEO until a successor is named.

“We are financially stable and have the necessary resources and expertise to complete a successful realization of our strategy to transform health care in North Texas and become a nationally recognized health leader,” she said in a statement.

Watson said that neither Hawthorne nor Bass would be available at this time for media interviews.

Hawthorne was named to Modern Healthcare magazine’s annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2012 and 2013, and was on the magazine’s annual list of 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare six times in prior years, THR said.

He was among the most highly compensated not-for-profit CEOs in the region. For 2012, the most recent information available, his base salary was about $1 million and his bonus was about $1.1 million.

Steve Love, CEO of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, called Hawthorne “a cornerstone in health care in North Texas, the state of Texas and in the United States for many years.”

“Doug’s integrity, leadership and collaborative spirit with other providers have been instrumental in making North Texas a health care delivery region that represents the gold standard for the rest of the nation,” Love said in a statement.

Stephen Mansfield, president and CEO of Dallas-based Methodist Health System, called Hawthorne’s career “amazing.”

“Selfishly, I will miss him and our industry will miss him,” Mansfield said in a statement. “Doug’s intellect, character and hard work fashioned an amazing organization that has done much for many. I know he isn’t quitting … just making a well-earned pivot.”

Joel Allison, CEO of Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health, said it has been a privilege for him to call Hawthorne a colleague.

“Throughout his career he has been dedicated to improving the quality of health care for patients in North Texas and beyond,” Allison said.

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